The Mall

"Wow like no one is at the mall," Izzy said.

"But the parking lot is full." Zack sighed.

"Dude, it's either employees bogarting the best spot or the old ladies store is having a half off of panties and bras," Izzy snickered.

"They are like huge they should take half off," Zack quipped.

"There is Rat," Izzy said, seeing the guitar teacher.

"Yeah he is the manager of Morrison Music now," Zack said, "You and Chuckster didn't sneak over here and put soap in the fountain again did you?

"No Way we haven't done things like that since nineth grade, we are totally past that," Izzy laughed, he felt different today he guessed now that he was a man he wouldn't want to do stuff like that any more.

"Dudes You know anything about the soaping?" Rat asked.

"No that is like so middle school dude," Izzy said.

"Yeah but you know some of those Tweenies," Rat laughed.

"We haven't seen the brats," Zack sighed.

"Just checking the head cheese at the mall gets his undies in a knot over this crap," Rat said.

"We are looking for jobs, any ideas?" Izzy asked.

"Give me a few and I will meet you up at Pizza Corral, I haven't had breakfast," Rat said.

"I am way tired from walking in here," Zack sighed.

"You were born tired," Izzy laughed.

"Yeah well I was born last had to do all the work. Hey isn't that a way stone cold car?" Zack asked.

"Yeah it is the bomb," Izzy agreed.

"Well lets get upstairs I am starving." Zack sighed,

"Me too, Valerie should be working." Izzy agreed, you could only eat so much mac n cheese. That was all Julia knew how to make besides salads.

"Dude this mall is way cheap we don't even have an escalator thing like Grand River has," Zack complained.

"Hey Val, whats up?" Izzy asked ignoring his brothers complaints.

"Oh my stomach, Val my pal have you any left over pizza?" Zack asked.

Val smiled she had been buddies with the boys since they had played in her sandbox back when her mother babysat them.

She gave them each a slice and went back to work cleaning and stocking, the corral was always dead in the morning unless stoners showed up.

"Maybe I should ask Val out?" Zack said.

"Whoa dude, are you breaking up with KayKay?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know dude, we been together for a year and it has been great, but lately all she does is hassel me about college and jobs, I feel like she wants me to be someone I am not." Zack sighed.

"That is bogus," Izzy sighed.

"Yeah and Val she is like cool and she knows me better then any babe out there," Zack reasoned.

Rat came up with some papers and Izzy went over and started talking to Val.

"I need some advice from a babes point of view," Izzy said.

"You call me dude, and buddy and you want a babes point of view?" Valerie laughed.

"Well you are a babe right?" Izzy asked.

"I wondered if you had noticed, yes, I am a girl," Val giggled.

"I knew that, and I noticed, but I am in love with Darey, have been since middle school you are still the coolest chick around though," Izzy said smiling.

"You just say that because Maddie won't give you pizza and I will," Valerie teased, "What do you want Izzy?"

"Your opinion," Izzy said.

"Okay opinions are free another slice of pizza will cost you," Val said smiling.

"See KayKay and Zack they been doing the horizontal dance for some time now, and all of a sudden she is getting all serious and wanting him to get a job and go to college and all kinds of non Zack activities," Izzy said smiling. Val was so cool.

"Ah I see, well in babe speak that means she really likes him and wants a future with him, like a house and kids and all the goodies your parents have," Val explained.

"Wow no way is Zack going to want to do that we are only sixteen too young to get . . . um like our parents," Izzy said thinking if Darey started that future stuff with him he would be so gone it would be the past.

"Well she doesn't mean right now, but sometime when you guys are like old like 25 or something," Val explained, "See if you go to college you will be 22 to 25 when you get out depending on what you study."

"Oh yeah 25 is old, nine whole years, okay that is not so bad Val you are cool," Izzy said.

Zack was sure glad Rat was here to help him with these employment applications they were a bit confusing to him.

Just out of boredom he put Izzys name on some of them. Rat was such a good guy to help him out. If he got a job today it would be so great get his parents and KayKay off his back.

Zack thought if applications were this boring and confusing what would work be like?

"Hey dude, this says college, I am thinking about going do I check that?" Zack asked.

"No that is for people who have gone to college, you are thinking about college seriously?" Rat asked.

"No dude I am thinking about college playfully, KayKay thinks I should go, but I don't like school much." Zack admitted.

"College is different then school, well I will go put in the ones you have done, you should hear back in a day or two. I have to go open shop," Rat said, "Come down I will give you some galaxy tokens."

"Awesome dude you are way cool," Zack said.

They went down to Galaxy Games which was right off of Morrison Music, and started playing, Val came with them since Maddie showed up to work.

"Rat is the coolest dude," Izzy said thinking he would make his tokens last.

"Yeah he is," Zack agreed.

"I can beat you I bet," Izzy chuckled.

"No way," Zack challenged.

"Way," Izzy laughed.

"Hey how did you do that," Zack said as Izzy racked another game.

"Look there is Spencer get him to play you for money," Zack said.

Izzy moved to Space Invaders grinning to himself.

"Hey Spencer whats up?" Zack said, looking at the dork.

"Not much Zackery," Spencer said taking some tokens from his pocket.

"What say we play for some cash?" Zack said softly, Rat would boot them out for gambling.

"No no, that would be against the rules," Spencer said.

Izzy decided to walk Val back to work as Zack preceded to fleece Spencer for his tokens.

Zack was so funny he could probably talk a preacher into drinking whiskey.

Jeremy was up there at the Pizza corral having a coke and so was Chuckster.

"Jeremy is so cute," Val whisphered to Izzy.

Izzy sighed why did all the girls think that guy was all that and a bag of chips, he was just a mascara wearing rocker with more maybeline and aquanet then most babes.

"Want a slice?" Chuckster called.

"Yeah dude." Izzy said thinking he was still hungry.

"Val is so fine, I wish she was mine," Chuckster said.

"Why don't you ask her out dude," Izzy asked.

"I think she is still mad at me for setting her hair on fire that time, hey it was an accident," Chuckster sighed.

"Yeah it was." Izzy agreed, "Look I will talk to her okay? Thanks for the pizza dude."

"No prob dude, please talk to her." Chuckster said.

Izzy smiled, Val and Chuckster were a good match. He had to see Robby before Zack wanted to go home.

He went over to Brain Freeze Ice Cream.

"Dude no big samples today the boss is lurking," Robby warned.

"No dude not why I am here, you know your cousin does he still want that yard cleaned out?"

"No my cousin and I did it, hey you are serious about finding a job?" Robby asked.

"Yeah dude, me and Zack need jobs." Izzy sighed.

"Well I will see if I can find anything, try the bowling alley White Chalet too they always need someone," Robby said.

"Thanks later days," Izzy said.

"And better lays," Robbie said grinning, "I heard you making the old head board thumping last night."

"Yeah," Izzy laughed and went downstairs somehow he didn't like someone saying that about him and Darey but he had said it plenty about others.

"Ready to go Wiz?" Izzy asked his brother.

"Yeah Iz, I got about thirty tokens for the next time we come in here," Zack laughed.

"I knew that if I hung around he wouldn't play you," Izzy laughed, "Lets go get some gas for that car we drive, hey where is Rocky?"

"I don't know I thought he went with you," Zack said.

"Maybe he found a babe dog," Izzy shrugged.

"Yeah or Stevie is here and he is peeing on his tires," Zack laughed.

"And on his upholstry and everything else," Izzy cracked up said, "Whoa dude, next time Stevie pisses off someone better not be 100 pound German Shepherd."

"Rocky really thinks Stevie is bogus," Zack agreed.

"I would too if some moron tied noisemakers to my tail," Izzy said.